Review: Kesha’s Comeback in ‘Rainbow’

WIKIMEDIA | PHOTO COURTESYKesha’s new album shows a side of her heart never seen before.

After five years of legal battles and bitter silence, Kesha Rose is back to music in a powerful way.

The singer recently released her third studio album entitled “Rainbow,” a piece of art that displays a more forgiving artist full of humility and love, with some badass still inside of her.

The Kesha that the public has been familiar with, producing songs like “Tik Tok” and “We R Who We R,” is much more mature in this new work, singing songs like “Learn to Let Go” and “Praying.” The new style has obviously paid off, with the album debuting as No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The 14 songs range in styles, from the heartfelt and melodic “Bastards” to the upbeat and cocky “Woman.” Kesha shows off her vocal talents in the lead single “Praying,” hitting ridiculously high notes and passionately spitting out the words she has undoubtedly thought about for a long time. Kesha even manages to team up with the legendary Dolly Parton for a revamping of “Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You),” originally recorded by Parton in 1980.

The album definitely has some pop hits, unsurprising for a Kesha return; however, the country songs and twangy influences were a bold and unexpected new sound for the artist. The move paid off, since the country style allowed Kesha to explore a new kind of storytelling with her personally written lyrics.

In a word, the album is inspiring. What some could easily see as a collection of songs, it is just as feasible to view the masterpiece as proof that it gets better after hard times or unfortunate circumstances. The album is a big middle finger to all the naysayers while being a beacon of hope for everyone lost.

Anyone who is a fan of the old Kesha should make a point to check the album out, along with any individuals who are interested in swaying along to the beat or belting out emotional lyrics from someone who has been silent for far too long.